Home for the Holidays
by Bailz
Summary: Summary; Home. Family. Joy. Giving. Believe. Love. Holidays. Claire-centric. Oneshot. Slight Claire/Derrick and Layne/Griffin.


**I don't know where this came from. I started writing a fluffy Claire/Derrick and got this. **

**Forgive&Forget readers; This could be a companion that ties up some lose ends. It would take about a year and a half after F&F takes place. F&F is deletedd now. **

**OHMIGOD; yeah, this isn't cassie. Or massington. Or Clam. It's Claire/Derrick and layne/griffin. I love layne and griffin and Clairington. If you don't, don't read. **

**Disclaimer; I don't own the clique or it's characters. I also don't own Jingle Bell Rock, A Christmas Story or Elf (besides on DVD, both of which I watch every Christmas), or anything other then the plot. **

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**Home (Westchester is a winter wonderland);**

Westchester during the holidays may be the best place in the world. Almost every citizen of the wealthy town has a smile on their face during the month of December, as they rushed from store to store in search of the perfect gift. Everything is so elaborately decorated, the trees that could be seen from the windows of the huge houses were absolute perfection. The ground was almost always covered in snow, no thanks to global warning, as Layne is always happy to start her ramble with. Christmas in Westchester is definitely my third favorite part of the move from Florida to New York.

**Family (My friends during Christmas); **

My friends are always very loveable and adorable and dorky. During the holidays, they are even more loveable and adorable and dorky. I've spent two Christmases with Layne, Dylan, and Massie before I became friends with the other four of my friends. The first time I spent the best holiday in the history of the world (in my and my Christmas adoring friends opinion) with the guys, Derrick, Kemp, Chris, and Griffin, I had no idea what to expect.

Would they be like Kirsten who hated the holidays because she believed that it was centered around money? Or would they be like Alicia and Massie who loved the holidays for the same reason Kirsten hated it? Could they be like Dylan and Layne who loved the holidays as much as I do? It turned out of for three of the four guys I call my close friends were like Dylan, Layne, and myself, complete holiday adoring, green-and-red wearing, Christmas decorating, hot chocolate drinking dorks.

Kemp despises Christmas for family reasons that everybody, but myself, just pretends to understand. But, when he sees me humming Christmas carols' and watches Christmas movies I force him to watch as me and him curled up by the fireplace in his family room, making our lists and checking them twice, you can't even tell he hates the holidays.

Griffin is not known for being happy. The boy, unless he's with Layne, seems to permanently have his frown on his face. During the holidays, on the other hand, his smile is always there, reaching all the way to his eyes. The holidays bring out a Griffin Hastings few people have seen before, a very happy, very excited Griffin Hastings with more holiday spirit then Layne.

Chris, like Layne and Dylan, the two most dorky girls on the planet, acts like he's a seven year old during the holidays. He bakes cookies with the two girls, is an elf at the mall, leading excited kids to take a picture with Santa. The first year, I seriously found myself wondering if he still believed in Santa, but Derrick quickly dismissed the bizarre idea with a laugh, informing me that the other guys ruined Chris' dream of Santa in seventh grade.

Ah, Derrick. The boy who shows me what love is, my boyfriend of almost two years, a year and ten months. We had a three day fight, causing us to break up for two unbearable days, a few months ago, but besides that, our relationship has been happy and spent ignoring the glares Massie still shoots us when we are being our usual PDA-loving selves. He loves Christmas, loves the spirit of love and friends and family, the smiles on peoples faces, just like me.

**Joy (Christmas shopping);**

"I think we should all just go shopping together. Why should we waste all of the gas using seven cars when we could just use one?" Layne, on her new eco-kick, had suggested to the six of us. With a little more convincing on Layne and Griffin's part, we all had agreed with a nod, some more hesitant then others.

Which is how I found myself running through Westchester mall, dragging Kemp behind me, attempting to win the race Chris was sure he was going to win. I, being prepared for his challenge, as that is what Chris Plovert does, was not so sure. I have spent weeks pouring over my Christmas list, making sure it is all just right, found every item online, so I knew exactly what store to look at.

My mission: beating Chris, Derrick, and Griffin (Layne and Dylan wouldn't join the race, as they took their Christmas shopping very seriously, and me and Kemp had joined each others 'team' by the second store.)

My (actual, as in, the reason I went to the Westchester in the first place) other mission: getting a present for my five friends, my boyfriend, my parents, and Todd. So, I could eat, go home, wrap them all up, and not stress about Christmas gifts.

"KEMP! Get Chris out of here!" I whisper-yelled to my best friend, ducking behind a rack of DVDs to hide from the boy. Not only was being in this store one present closer to being done (this was mine and Kemp's second to last store), this was also the store we were buying Chris' present here and seeing it before Christmas eve would (obviously) ruin the surprise.

Kemp shook his head, already annoyed with our competition, but made his way to his friend. After a minute or two of a hushed argument, I could not hear one word coming out of either boys mouth, and Chris sighed, slowly walking out of the store.

Before I could ask how he managed to convince mister competition to leave the store, he answered. "I'm not going to tell you how, because you'll get really mad and it'll ruin your holidays. So, forget that just happened and go get Chris' presents from us, please." Kemp who, after almost two years of friendship, could read my mind, began walking away. "I'll get you your usual!" His voice trailed behind him, barely reaching my ears as I went in search of the gifts next to Chris' name on both Christmas lists.

**Giving (in to pouty fifteen year old boys);**

"We won!" I danced around the table that sat Derrick, Chris, and Griffin (and Kemp, but I didn't really beat him), who joined me and Kemp ten to twenty minutes after we got to the food court, our version of the finish line. The large strawberry-banana smoothie Kemp got me was only half empty and I gulped down some more of it's deliciousness as soon as I was done with my little victory dance. "Who won?" I asked Chris playfully as I took the seat in between Derrick and him, across from Kemp.

"You won." Chris replied mournfully, as if not receiving the (best) prize (ever) for winning the race was killing him. "Which means _you, _and kemp, I guess, get to choose the food. _I _wanted to choose the food! Layne and Dylan got to last year and Derrick always picked before that." He sounded like a little boy whose parents wouldn't by him the toy he wanted.

"Fine!" I shook my head, giving into his pouty expression and the 'Christmas spirit'. "Since it's Christmas time and Christmas is supposed to be all about giving and whatever. Each person gets to choose one food. Everyone happy?" I rolled my eyes at Chris' eager expression before pulling out my phone to figure out where the heck Dylan and Layne were and why they were leaving me with these boys.

**Believe (The best meal ever / Christmas Eve gift exchange); **

"I believe," Chris started, the tone of his voice making it seem like he was going to say something genius. "that that meal may have been the best in existence." He finished, gesturing to the vast number of empty plates resting before him. "Hear, hear." The guys, and Dylan, chimed in.

"I believe," Dylan giggled as she dug into her second slice of pie. "that this pie is very, very good." Oh, Dylan, I had to think to myself, do you every think about anything but food, guys, and shopping?

"I believe," Layne mocked Chris, ignoring Dylan's girlish giggle. "that every gift may have been the best gifts ever given." She thought about what she said. "I also believe that that really didn't make any sense you all have to pretend it does." She took the last bite of her pie.

"I believe," Griffin grinned, the same grin that has been plastered on his face since Black Friday (the day following Thanksgiving). "that me and Layne, and Claire and Derrick, of course, are meant to be." Ah, Griffin, such a romantic. Dylan and me are convinced that he actually read the Notebook in 7th grade and was just pretending that he didn't, though we haven't actually asked yet.

"I believe," Kemp shook his head, looking annoyed and amused. "that this is getting much to Polar Express for me. Next thing I know, you are going to be asking me if I hear the bell." Everybody (but Claire) stared at him in awe. Kemp was not one to watch little kids Christmas movies. "Do not stare at me like that. Blame it on Miss Christmas over there. She made me watch it. Twice. Don't even ask how many time's we watched A Christmas Story and Elf because you really don't want to know." He pointed an accusing finger at me as everybody, even Derrick, who tends to get jealous of how close Kemp and me are, cracked up.

"I believe, and whoever gets offended by this, my apologize," Derrick grabbed my hand under the table, for whatever reason. "that, not only are you guys massive dorks, which you are, if Massie was here, we would not be having this much fun. She'd be like '_Eh-ma-gawd! It is soo LBR-ish to watch Christmas movies! Kemp, you should not have let Kuh-laire talk you into that!" _And then glare at me and Claire for this!" And then he kissed me, his perfect, mind-mushing, spine-tingling kiss.

"Boo! PDA! Stop!" Their friends chorused, laughing at Derrick's perfect Massie impression. Chris even threw the very last roll, which, like the meal in general, was the very best in existence, at them. "I believe that this mushy stuff coming from Derrick and Griffin may possibly make me throw-up." Dylan decided. I threw the roll back at Dylan before pushing herself out of her seat and running to turn up the sound system.

_Jingle ell, jingle ell, jingle bell rock, jingle bell swing and jingle bells ring..._

The song began as they mixed in with my demand of dancing since "I won and shared my prize with everyone, because I'm into Christmas like that." Layne and Dylan did not need to be asked twice and after a little persuading on their part, Griffin and Chris joined them. I looked from Kemp to Derrick, my best friend and my boyfriend, two of my favorite people in the world. Then I looked from Kemp's frown to Derrick's smile and, with an apologetic grin shot in Derrick's general direction, walked up to Kemp.

"Please, you have to dance! For me?" I begged, like I begged him to help me shop and decorate and watch movie after movie with me. He shook his head at first, but I continued my firm, but innocent, 'please, please, please' and he gave in without much more begging on my part. Dylan pulled him across the family room, spinning and giggling as she went.

"It's to bad the popular, beautiful, graceful Princess Massie Block isn't here to dance with this lonely prince charming." I teased in a whisper. Derrick faked a gag before pulling me down to join him.

"Well, I guess I'll have to stick with this Claire Lyon's I've heard so much about. I heard she was beautiful, talented, sweet, and a great, great kisser." He grinned, before giving me one long kiss and pulling me up. "Will you take this dance?" I nodded, dragging him to join our friends.

**Love; **

My phone beeped. Again. Finally, giving up on trying to sleep, I reached out blindly and grabbed my phone. Text message after text message after text message. I quickly skipped over all of those mass texts and those who believed I had taken Massie's throne of popularity and found the only ones I cared about.

'**Merry Christmas, Claire Bear. I love you to pieces!**' Dylan's declared.

'**Merry Christmas, Claire. Have a great day.' **Griffin was much less personal then Dylan's, as I'm not as close to him, but I could still feel the love.

'**Merry Christmas to you! Love ya, Layne!' **Layne's text seemed much more Layne WG (with Griffin) than her old zany, slightly annoying, self.

'**Santa come yet?' **Was all Chris' read, and I replied (my first reply) with a simple '**YES!'**

'**C- Enjoy the holiday you claim is the best, but don't forget to come by. -K' **His 'love' wasn't there, but I knew it was meant to be. Kemp has never been one to be good at expressing his emotions. I replied with a '**I won't, love you too.'**

'**I love you, Claire. Merry Christmas.' **Derrick's made me grin the biggest. '**I love you too, D. Merry Christmas.' **

And then, I replied to all of them at the same time, so they could all get my love and I could get downstairs to those presents. **'Merry Christmas and thanks to you all. I love you guys.' **And those few words summed up what I was feeling, thankful, loved, and happy.

And then I went downstairs to join the broken group of people I'm supposed to call my family, grateful to have friends, my real family, my real home, a text or phone call away.

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**CHEESY ENDING MUCH.? I picked jingle bells rock because i couldn't think of any other danceable song. So, yeah. **

**F&F READERS; this pretty much sums up how F&F ends. They lose their friendship with Massie. L/G and C/D are still together, mainly because I couldn't break them up. **

**HAPPY HOLIDAYS.,**

**Bailey.**

**P.S, the next chapter of not so typical will be up in a few days.**


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